


Doodles

by BestDeadFriendsForever



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: During Buck's recovery, M/M, Set between Season 2 and 3, but it's cute so, not even a lot of ship content, pretty much some mindless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22744609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestDeadFriendsForever/pseuds/BestDeadFriendsForever
Summary: Eddie brings Christopher with him when he goes to check in on Buck. Christopher gets a little creative and Eddie and Buck try to have a conversation.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 9
Kudos: 265





	Doodles

“You’re gonna have to be gentle with Buck, kid,” Eddie reminded Christopher for what felt like the thousandth time in the past half hour. “You know he busted up his leg pretty badly, and even though he has a cast on, it could still hurt if you aren’t careful.”

“I know!” Christopher said with obvious exasperation as he narrowed his eyes at Eddie’s reflection in the rear-view mirror. “I already promised to be careful.”

“I know you did,” Eddie said patiently, “but I need to make sure that you don’t forget because you get excited. I know you’ve not seen Buck in a while-”

“Daddy,” Christopher said seriously, “I got this.”

Eddie couldn’t help but grin at how sincere Christopher sounded. “Alright.” Eddie parked at the curb outside of Buck’s apartment and he tugged off his seatbelt before going around to the backseat of his truck and holding the door open so that Christopher could climb down. He set a hand on Christopher’s shoulder as he reached into the back seat to get his crutches out for him. “Alright, there you go,” Eddie said once he’d gotten Christopher situated. “Head on up, I’m right behind you.”

Eddie closed the backseat and opened up the passenger side door so he could grab Chris’s backpack and the small load of groceries that he’d brought for Buck. Maddie had asked him to make sure that Buck was eating something other than those gross protein bars that he kept for when he was running late to work. Eddie had a sneaking suspicion that with Buck’s mood lately, he hadn’t gone out shopping.

Eddie knocked when he and Christopher got to Buck’s place and he leaned his hip against the doorframe as they waited. “Remember what I said, _mijo_ ,” Eddie said with a stern look. Christopher just gave him a giant grin in response. Before Eddie could make another comment about behaving, the door opened, and Buck was there balancing on his crutches.

“Hey, brother. Thought you could do with a decent meal and even better company,” Eddie teased and nodded towards inside.

“Yeah,” Buck said, and he shuffled back a little unsteadily so that Eddie and Christopher could come inside. Christopher came in and he moved to sit at the kitchen table so he could watch as Eddie set down the groceries on Buck’s island before plopping Christopher’s bag down so that Chris could dig out the coloring books and markers that Eddie had packed for him.

“So, your sister thinks you’re squirreling away and only eating protein bars,” Eddie said, and he took a glance at Buck’s trash to see a plethora of wrappers. He frowned a little and gave Buck a less than impressed look. “Good to see she was wrong,” Eddie said flatly as Buck sheepishly made his way over to sit at the island.

“I’ve been meaning to go, I just…” Buck shrugged, and Eddie saw the way that something behind his eyes shuttered. Eddie hated to see that look on Buck’s face so he just continued talking.

“Well, lucky for you I had time. If Abuela saw you, you’d be sitting down to about an eight course meal, she’d be poking you in the ribs and saying how skinny you are,” Eddie said with a teasing grin before he leaned over the island to poke at Buck’s chest. Buck swatted his hand away with a bright laugh that helped to soothe some of Eddie’s ragged edges. “Why don’t you and Christopher go hang out for a bit. I can make lunch and then we can go out for a movie or just a quick walk around the park.”

“Yeah, alright,” Buck said and he gave him a small smile. “I could help though.”

“Doc says you’re not supposed to be on your feet if we can help it. I got this, Buck.” Eddie felt something soft settle in his chest as Buck nodded and made his way over to where Christopher was sitting on the floor in front of the couch doodling in his coloring books. He watched for a while as Buck sat down and propped his leg up on the coffee table, Buck and Christopher talking for a second before Christopher moved to show Buck his drawings.

Eddie always felt something warm and soft settle in his chest when he saw the way Buck lit up whenever Christopher was around, or even just the way that Buck interacted with Eddie’s son. He took just a moment longer to soak in the sight of Buck and Christopher before he started on making lunch.

He hummed to himself as he cleaned up the lunch mess and then put away the extra groceries that he’d gotten to help Buck stock up a little. He dusted his hands off on his jeans and made his way into the living room to check up on the two of them.

Buck had managed to doze off, Christopher having gone back to his coloring books, but since Buck was asleep, Christopher had decided to move away from coloring in his books and towards Buck’s blank, white cast.

“I decorated Buck’s cast for him, Daddy,” Christopher said from where he was beaming at the clunky firetruck he was finishing up on the left side of Buck’s knee. Christopher had drawn all sorts of things already with the markers from his coloring book: a firetruck, what looked like some dinosaurs, a shark, and currently Christopher was starting what looked to be like the 118 in their turnout gear.

Eddie slipped his phone from his pocket and couldn’t help but grin. He had to send this to everyone. “Hey, big smile, Superman,” Eddie said, and Christopher looked up towards the camera with a toothy grin as Eddie snapped a picture. Eddie laughed as he looked it over before texting it to the 118 and Maddie. He figured they’d all get a kick out of it. “Nice. I’ve got lunch ready if you want to head in. I’ll wake Buck up.”

“Hold on one second,” Christopher said, and he finished the last little scribble on what looked to be Bobby before capping his black marker and nodding. “Okay.” Christopher used the couch and coffee table to get to his feet and then he was making his way to the kitchen.

Eddie sat down on the couch beside Buck before putting a hand on his shoulder. “C’mon, Buck. Time for lunch.”

Buck slowly came to and he rubbed at his eyes tiredly as he blinked away. “Eddie?” Eddie felt something pull at his gut at the raspy way that Buck’s voice came out and the dopey smile that Buck gave him when he noticed Eddie sitting next to him.

“Heads up, Picasso over there,” Eddie said and nodded to where Christopher was sitting at the table, “decided to make your leg his new art project.” Buck looked down and instead of looking exasperated or embarrassed, he just beamed.

“Well, it was looking a little boring,” Buck said and twisted around so he could take a better look at the various drawings that Christopher had put on there.

“Come on,” Eddie said and stood, holding his hand out to Buck. Buck took it and let Eddie pull him up before Eddie put a hand on Buck’s waist to steady him as he grabbed Buck’s crutches. “There you go.” Eddie smoothed his thumb over Buck’s waist before he pulled his hand away, ears burning, and turned to the kitchen.

They had a quick lunch and Buck brought up taking that walk that Eddie had mentioned. Christopher was ecstatic and Eddie honestly felt relieved to see Buck looking better than when he’d opened the door.

Christopher was ahead of them, Buck’s energy starting to wane as his face went a little pale, and Eddie keeping pace with Buck. They rounded the corner and there was a playground that when Christopher turned around to ask, Eddie waved him ahead so that he and Buck could sit and let Buck rest for a while.

“How you feeling, really?” Eddie asked and put his arm over the back of the bench once they’d sat down. Buck fiddled with his crutches for a long moment before he just shrugged.

“I’m okay. I’m in one piece. That’s what matters.” Eddie frowned a little as Buck refused to meet his eyes.

“Buck,” Eddie started but Buck cut him off.

“I should be asking you that, if we think about it,” Buck said and he kept his eyes over on the playground where Christopher was smiling and laughing with a group of kids his age. “I mean, you just lost your wife. Your son just lost his mother.”

The reminder of Shannon stung, but Eddie could tell that Buck was trying to avoid something by pushing Eddie’s buttons.

“We’re working on it,” Eddie said honestly. “But I’m not the one who had a truck dropped on him.” Eddie lowered his voice and twisted his body so that he was looking at Buck directly. “You’re allowed to not be okay, Buck. You’re allowed to be pissed at God or the universe or whatever. I just… I don’t want you to have to go through it all alone.” Buck’s jaw worked for a long moment and Eddie felt his stomach lurch as Buck let out a harsh breath and closed his eyes as if he was trying to hold back tears. “C’mere,” Eddie said and dropped his hand from the back of the bench and onto Buck’s shoulders so he could pull the other in. Buck’s head dropped against his collarbone and it was an awkward angle for the both of them, but Buck seemed to relax after a second.

“Thank you, Eddie,” Buck mumbled against Eddie’s t-shirt, though he made no move to pull away.

“Anytime, Buck,” Eddie said and smoothed his hand down Buck’s back before reluctantly letting him go with a solid pat on the back. They sat for a little longer just watching Christopher play until Christopher came up and plopped himself across Eddie’s lap. “You ready to head home?” Christopher laughed and nodded. “Alright then.” Eddie lifted Christopher up onto his hip as he stood. “I think Buck’s getting a little sleepy too. You wore him out, kid.”

“Buck never gets tired. Buck’s like Superman,” Christopher said and Eddie snorted a little as Buck got to his feet and tucked his crutches under his arms.

“I think we both have seen Buck take enough naps to know that’s not true.” Eddie shot Buck a grin and Buck rolled his eyes in response. It was a well-known fact, and common material for teasing, about Buck’s ability to sleep anywhere and through almost anything. “But I guess Buck is kind of like Superman in a couple of ways.”

“Lots of ways, _lots_ ,” Christopher rushed to say as if to spare Buck’s feelings.

“At least one of the Diaz boys appreciates my talents,” Buck said and the tip of his tongue poked out from his teeth as he grinned. “I think Christopher is going to have to become my new best friend since you don’t appreciate me, Eddie.”

Eddie snorted but it was drowned out by Christopher’s excited cheer.

They made their way back to Buck’s apartment and Eddie sent Christopher into the living room to clean up so he and Buck could have a second to talk. “If you need anything, no matter how small, you know you’ve just got to pick up the phone. I’ll come running.” Eddie leveled Buck with a serious look that had Buck ducking his head, his ears turning pink.

“I know, Eddie.”

“Good,” Eddie said, and he pulled Buck into a hug. “Because I’m not gonna let you forget it anytime soon.” He pulled away just enough to look at Buck and for a moment it seemed like something had shifted. Buck was leaning into Eddie’s hands and looking at Eddie’s mouth in the same way Eddie had caught himself doing with Buck. He started to tilt his face up but then Christopher’s voice broke through and Eddie took a half-step backwards.

“Ready to go, Daddy?” Christopher asked and looked between the two of them expectantly.

“Yeah,” Eddie said and his voice sounded as shaky as his insides felt. He’d almost kissed Buck. “Say goodbye to Buck and then we’ll head home.”

“Bye, Buck,” Christopher said and walked up to wrap his arms around Buck’s waist in a tight hug.

“Bye, Chris,” Buck said and he cradled the back of Christopher’s head gently. When Christopher let go and came over to lean against Eddie’s side, Buck gave Eddie a small smile. “See you, Eddie.”

“Later, Buck,” Eddie said and he reached out to pat Buck’s arm before slinging Christopher’s backpack onto his back. “Take care of yourself, alright? I might have to actually sic Abuela on you if you keep it up.” He felt a smile tugging at his mouth as Buck shook his head fondly.

“I’ll do better, Eddie. Promise.” Buck walked them to the door and waved as they went out of Buck’s building. Eddie glanced over his shoulder one last time, giving Buck a soft smile and a short wave, before he and Christopher headed home.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the cutest idea of Christopher drawing on Buck's cast since I watched the season 2 finale and this was just a little bit of that to give myself something to do for the day.   
> -James


End file.
